With all the mediocre, subpar Horror films roaming around these days, it is hard to believe that one can actually deliver something gold medal worthy. This is when When Evil Lurks comes around and beats that thought right out of your brain… literally.
Premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 13, 2023, it was theatrically released by IFC Films on October 6th, followed by a release on the Shudder streaming service on October 27th. A Supernatural, Psychological Horror film written and directed by Demián Rugna (Terrified 2017, Satanic Hispanics 2022), Where Evil Lurks became the very first Latin American movie to win the award for Best Feature Film in the entire 56-year history of the Sitges Film Festival.
It all begins with two brothers Pedro (Ezequiel Rodríguez: Soy Luna series, Tierra Incógnita series) and Jimi (Demián Salomón: I Am Toxic 2018, Punto Rojo 2021) who are living in a rural area in Argentina and head out to investigate multiple gunshots. They find a dismembered unknown body along with goats torn to shreds. This is what leads us to the ‘rotten,’ a possessed human taken over by a demon. We find out that the dead body belonged to a ‘cleaner,’ a person who properly disposes of a ‘rotten’ to ensure the demon is not released into anyone else. Without a cleaner available, the two brothers and their neighbor Ruiz (Luis Ziembrowski: Lalola series, The Rotten Link 2015), take it upon themselves to bring the rotten a few hundred miles out of town to avoid further possession.
At this junction When Evil Lurks takes off running. You will find yourself unsure as to where this is going, but every time you think you do, it takes a sharp right turn. As the brothers try to save their family from impending doom, the entity takes full control of anyone in its path. That in mind, what is great about this movie is that there does not need to be much dialogue as the possessed are able to commit unspeakable, unfiltered acts of violence while you watch in absolute terror. When Evil Lurks keeps you constantly on your toes while your jaw will hit the floor with pure shock value delivered in the entire 1 hour and 40 minutes. It is like The Exorcist (1973) and The Evil Dead (1981) had a baby and named it When Evil Lurks.
Overall, When Evil lurks is a refreshing take on possession and gore with a no holds barred approach to kill scenes. Furthermore, women, children and pregnancy were not off limits in this film when it comes to massacring. That said, the ability this film has to seamlessly flow from scene to scene while simultaneously killing off an entire family was awkwardly commendable. For all these reasons, Cryptic Rock gives When Evil Lurks 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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